10. Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Victor
Why am I being so cruel to Gracie? Perhaps it’s because she’s so innocent sometimes it’s almost painful, and I want her to stand up for herself. Or maybe I am just an asshole.
Either way, I’ll follow through on my threat because I’m nothing if not a man of my word, and we have safewords in place for a reason.
But that will need to wait until later. Right now, I have to take Lili to talk with Owen and the others. They’re more pissed at me than I thought they would be, and I don’t want to be on their bad side for any longer than necessary. I admit that what I’ve done is stupid, but I’m not ready to say that out loud to them. We needed to draw Phineas Draven out of the shadows, and his wife should be the perfect bait, if he cares about her at all.
But to hear Lili tell it, he doesn’t, so we’ll see how well my spur of the moment plan works.
My prisoner digs her heels in halfway across the dungeon floor, and I tug hard on the leash. When she doesn’t budge, I get close and slide a hand into her hair. “You don’t want to play games with me, Spitfire. I will end you.”
She stares at me, silently daring me to make her listen, and I hate to admit that her defiance turns me on.
When she doesn’t budge, I look at Owen who just shrugs his shoulders like the smug bastard he is, as if to say, “I’m not the one who kidnapped her, she’s your problem.”
With a disgusted shake of my head, I bend and put one arm behind her knees and the other behind her back and scoop her up, carrying her the rest of the way to Matteo’s office.
Thankfully, she’s smart enough not to scream and cause a scene.
In the office, I dump her on Matteo’s sofa and keep hold of the leash.
Matteo leans against his desk and glares at me before turning his attention to Lili.
“It seems we share a common enemy, Mrs. Draven.”
Lili scoffs. “My husband is a cheating bastard, but he is not my enemy. I can’t begin to guess what you people are trying to pull, but I won’t help you after what this bastard did, if that’s what you think.”
The answer surprises me, given what we talked about in her room earlier. I thought she would be on board to help us.
Matteo clucks his tongue and shakes his head. “How about I do the talking?”
When she opens her mouth, I stick two fingers inside. I shouldn’t be surprised when she bites down, but I only flinch for a second.
“You can bite them off if you want to, Spitfire. But you will be quiet, or I’ll find something much less pleasant to gag you with.”
When blood runs down her chin, I squeeze her throat with my other hand until she lets go.
Without a word, Luke pulls a first aid kit from behind Matteo’s desk and hands it to me.
“If we’re done with the theatrics, I’d like to get finished here. Can’t let Tobias hog all the time with our wife tonight.”
Bellamy, Tobias, and Owen are in an unconventional relationship, and one of them is legally married to her, but they won’t tell us who. Bellamy doesn’t even know. The paperwork is locked in a safe somewhere if it’s needed for emergencies or medical situations, but she considers both men her husband, though she considers Owen to be her Master. I don’t pretend to understand the dynamic. All that matters is they’re all happy, and that makes me happy.
Lili looks at Owen with a strange expression as I clean and bandage the bite marks on my fingers.
“Our wife?” Lili questions.
“A story for another time, I’m afraid,” he tells her in his annoying British accent.
“Look, the fact is, I can’t let you leave,” Matteo says. “Not without some kind of information about your husband. And I am loath to kill an innocent woman. Which means you’re our prisoner until further notice. Now that can look like staying in a luxury room here at the club, or I can take you somewhere much less pleasant and lock you in a cage. The choice is yours.”
I raise an eyebrow at Matteo. He’s not one to promote violence or the mistreatment of a prisoner. That tells me he’s ready to get to the bottom of what has been plaguing us for nearly two years.
“I’ll stay here, Mr. Bennett. Or should I say, Trentini? I recognize when I’m outnumbered.”
Matteo’s knuckles turn white as he grips the edge of the desk. “How do you know who I am?”
“I pay attention to who my husband’s enemies are. It seems like it might serve me well someday. Perhaps that day is here sooner than I expected.”
“It’s not like you have a lot of options, Mrs. Draven,” Matteo says. How he’s keeping his voice so calm, I’m not sure, but I’m grateful that he’s taking the lead right now.
“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong. I always have plenty of options. I was fully aware of who I was marrying, and I’ve made sure to keep options in my back pocket. Something tells me the women in your lives have done the same.”
The three men in the room with me stiffen at the mention of their wives and girlfriends. If there’s one thing she’ll need to learn, it’s not to bring them into the conversation. Skylar, Bellamy, and Zara are all strong women in their own right, and have their own wants, desires, and passions, and the men they fell in love with protect them with their lives.
“Oh. I’ve touched a nerve. I apologize,” she says in a soft tone that almost sounds sincere.
“Enough of this bullshit. Take her back to the suite. She’s not going to talk,” Matteo says.
“You’ve barely asked me a question. How could I possibly talk?”
She kind of has a point, but if I say that to Matteo, he might end me.
“Then tell us something, anything that might get Phineas off our backs,” I urge.
“Don’t let him find out you’ve kidnapped his wife?” she asks, batting her eyelashes. When Matteo steps toward her, she holds up her hands. “Forgive me. I would say go after his mother. To be honest, I doubt he’ll miss me all that much. But you fuck with his mom’s career as mayor of this town, and he’ll pay attention.”
I raise an eyebrow. That’s actually helpful information.
“Now you can take me back to the suite because I have no intention of giving you anything else tonight. Not until you’ve proved you’ll keep me safe if I help you.”
Matteo gives me a nod, and I pick up the leash. “Are you going to walk like a good girl, or do I need to carry you again?”
“I’ll walk,” she murmurs.
Something has changed in the last few minutes, and I wish I were inside her head.
As we walk to the suite, she speaks. “Tell me about Gracie.”
I raise an eyebrow at her. “What’s to tell? She works for us, and that’s all the information you need.”
“It’s clear you’re sweet on her, and she has it bad for you.”
I jerk her leash hard until she comes to a complete stop, and I put my nose against hers. “It would serve you well not to meddle while you’re here.”
The damn woman smirks but doesn’t continue her line of questioning.
“I’m curious about needles. Do you think I could watch your scene with Gracie?”
I frown. “That will be up to Gracie. I’ll ask when we talk in a few minutes. For now, you wait here quietly.”
After I deposit her in the suite and lock the door, I go in search of Gracie. I find her sitting with Bellamy and Tobias in the bar, who are apparently waiting for Owen before they play.
As I approach, the smile on her face slides, and I realize she’s worried about the punishment I promised her. With Lili’s voice in my head, guilt settles in my chest, but I crook my finger and motion for her to come to me.
She’s quick to obey since we’re in the presence of other club members, but she doesn’t have the pep in her step that she usually does.
I stroke a finger down her cheek when she stands in front of me and offer her a small smile.
“What’s the matter, butterfly?”
Her gaze dips, and I lift her chin with my finger. “I asked you a question, Gracelynn.”
She scowls at my use of her full first name but doesn’t object out loud. “I’m still mad you involved me in whatever is going on. It’s not right.”
With a heavy sigh, I offer her my arm. “Come on. Let’s talk in my office.”
“Are you going to punish me?”
“I said we would discuss it later, didn’t I?”
She nods. “Yes, Sir.”
In my office, I nudge her toward the sofa, and she sits on the edge with her hands folded in her lap.
I surprise her by dropping to one knee in front of her and taking her hands.
“I’m sorry for involving you. Do you believe me?”
She looks at me for a long minute before nodding.
“Tell me what has upset you the most? Are you jealous of Lili?”
Her eyes grow wide, and her cheeks flush, all but confirming Lili’s observation. Fuck. How could I not see it? I’ve always known she had feelings, but I didn’t think it was serious.
Her eyes close and a single tear slides down her cheek. I catch it with my thumb before returning to squeezing her hand.
“I’m sorry, Gracie. It was inconsiderate of me to bring her here and force you to help me watch over her. That won’t happen again.”
“I don’t mind helping you. I just don’t want to get involved in anything illegal.”
“Gracie, I kidnapped her. It’s kind of the epitome of illegal.”
“You know what I mean.”
I frown and chuckle at the same time. “Not really, Grace.”
She beams. “I like it when you call me Grace.”
“I’ll keep that in mind when you’re a good girl.”
Her eyes narrow, and she puts her hands on her hips. “I’m always a good girl,” And she’s serious. Gracie isn’t a brat like Skylar or Zara can be. She strives to please and gets off on the praise. My yelling at her yesterday or this morning was probably more devastating than any punishment I could dole out.
I wince, feeling like the world’s biggest jackass.
“You’re a wonderful girl, Grace. I appreciate how dedicated you are to the club and your job at the sandwich shop. Just this once, because I was an asshole, we’ll forget about punishment for tonight and consider all forgiven.”
Her shoulders sag with relief, making me feel like an even bigger asshole. Normally, I don’t experience guilt over being an asshole, so these feelings are unsettling.
“I have a favor to ask of you, though,” I continue.
“What is it?” she asks, her voice a little timid as she eyes me warily.
“I realize I said you don’t need to be involved in this anymore, and that’s still true. No is a perfectly acceptable answer. But Lili seems to like you. Would you be willing to keep her company while she’s staying with us? It might make her a little more cooperative. You won’t be asked to do anything illegal, and I won’t ask you to pass information, or spy. Just make sure she’s fed and has what she needs.”
“Are you going to sleep with her again?”
The question catches me off guard, and once again, Lili’s observations ring in my head.
“I highly doubt that. I’m not exactly her favorite person right now, Grace. What does it matter if I do?”
She shrugs. “You’re aware of my feelings for you. I would rather not take care of your lovers.”
That she blatantly admits to having feelings for me also catches me off guard. That’s been happening a lot lately, and I don’t like it.
“I don’t mix business and pleasure, Grace. No matter how gorgeous you are.”
She chews her bottom lip and nods. “I understand. I’m sorry for saying anything.”
“She’s not my lover.”
Blowing out a long breath, she nods. “OK. I believe you. I’ll help you when I can. But I’m starting classes again next month, so if she’s still here then, you’ll have to ask one of the others for help.”
I squeeze her thigh, and she smiles. “I’m proud of you for going back to school, butterfly.”
She beams again, and I wonder if it’s time to ask one of the others to take over as her Dom at the club. The submissives who wear our pins are not sexual with us generally speaking. The exceptions being Zara, Skylar, and Bellamy, but I occasionally fuck one of my subs. For some reason, it never seems right to do that with Grace. Not because I’m not attracted to her. She’s gorgeous even though she doesn’t always believe it. But there’s something special about her and I’m convinced if I introduce her to the things I like in the kink world, she would run screaming from the room.
Lili, on the other hand, I want to make scream.
Jesus, I’m a bastard.
“I wouldn’t have gone back without you encouraging it,” she whispers.
How fucked up is it that I want to kiss her right now?
I shake my head and stand. “You did this all on your own, Grace. Take the credit.”
When she nods, I offer her my hand. “Let’s have a quick chat about our demo and get back out there. We’ve got a good crowd and I’m looking forward to showing everyone what a good little pincushion you are for me.”
“Yes, Master Victor,” she murmurs, standing.
As we walk, she smiles at me. “I did like hearing Lili yell at you.”
I reach out and tug a fist full of her hair. “Watch it, little girl. I just let you out of a punishment. I can always change my mind.”
She giggles but sobers quickly and I shake my head, trying to keep the smirk from my lips and failing.
“Before I forget, Lili has asked if she can watch our scene.”
Grace twists a curl around her finger as a slow smile spreads across her face. “I would like that.”
Back in the main dungeon, I send Gracie to the bar to fetch us both bottles of water, and then we take them to my playroom. One of four specially curated rooms hosted by one of the owners of the club. My room tends to be… loud. The sadists flock to my space, and the screams and moans of pleasure and pain combined are almost soothing for me. It occurs to me to wonder what Gracie thinks of my space. We’ve never talked about it before. I know a little about her kinks, but she’s not like some of the other women who are submissives here. Gracie followed me from college, and didn’t go through the same screening process other members do.
“How many classes are you taking for your first semester?” I ask, unsure why I’m trying to make small talk.
“Just two to start. I thought about going full time, but I didn’t get all the financial aid I was hoping for, and I don’t want to take out loans.”
“Don’t take on loans. Two is a good start. You don’t have to be in a rush.”
“Yes, but I want to get my RN license as soon as possible. I love you guys, but I don’t want to work in a sandwich shop my entire life.”
With a nod, I reach out and tousle her hair. “I don’t blame you, and we would never expect that of you. But you’ll always have a place here. Hope you know that.”
She frowns. “You’re being nice tonight. Why is that?”
“Are you complaining?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
“No, Sir,” she says with a quick shake of her head.
“Good. Then you go set up for our scene and I’m going to fetch Lili again.”
On the way to get Lili, I pass Luke who looks a bit sullen.
“No Zara tonight?”
He shakes his head with a scowl. “She had to stay in D.C. and finish some business dealings for something she’s starting there.”
My curiosity is piqued, but I don’t have time to ask more questions.
“Can you do me a favor and keep an eye on Lili while I do needles with Gracie? Lili wants to watch, and Gracie said yes.”
Luke gives me a thumbs up. “No problem.”
Lili is surprised when I return for her, but she’s quick to let me hook the leash back on her collar. That shouldn’t bring me as much pleasure as it does.
Before we get to my play space, I hand her leash to Luke.
“Master Luke will be watching over you while I play with Gracie. You are to obey and address him just as you are me. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” she says confidently.
Is she embracing her submissive side?
I shove the intrusive question aside. Gracie deserves my full attention.
As we enter the space, with Luke holding Lili’s leash, Amarjit Singh stops me. “Victor, everyone is chattering about a new woman at your feet tonight. You’ll have to introduce me.”
As she talks, her submissive Jacob kneels at her feet and she pets his head.
“Maybe some other time, doc. I’m about to do a needle demo. Enjoy the party.”
“I always do, Victor. You and your colleagues put on the very best ones.”
When I turn back, Lili is staring at Jacob as if she’s seen a ghost. I put a hand on her shoulder. “Is everything OK?”
She gives me a curt nod. “Fine, thanks.”
I scowl, certain she isn’t telling me the truth, but I leave it alone because Gracie and a growing crowd are waiting.